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John Luther

“Hell is empty and all the devils are here.”

Played by Idris Elba

"Why did I come here? 'Cause I wanted to tell you I know you kept the gun, and sooner or later I'll find it."

• Anti-Hero: John is probably a type III, where he's relatively good but dangerous. John has proved that he will go beyond the law and beyond 'good' to do what he needs to ultimately.
• Badass
• Badass Bookworm: In episode two, John tells the shooter that he loved to read books growing up - while his dad wanted him to get interested in sports and other things.
• Batman Gambit
• Berserk Button: Threatening Zoe.
• Cowboy Cop
• Fearless Fool: Big time. You could say it almost overlaps with Death Seeker, because he almost always arranges situations were he's alone with the suspect with little backup.
• Genius Bruiser: He's not making a lot out of Alice's and Owen Lynch's attempts at killing him. And Henry Madsen is running from him for a reason.
• Grey and Gray Morality: He will bend rules to the breaking point. Help bury bodies and frame other criminals. Threaten witnesses to protect someone under his care. Hence his Anti-Hero status.
• Guile Hero
• Hero with Bad Publicity: John is helping people but all the people he works with just see rage issues and unreliability...
  • Dude, Where's My Respect?: ...and yet, he manages to avert this trope. Everyone acknowledges that he's a brilliant cop - his boss responds with "he's back" when Luther sees through Alice in one conversation; Schenk admits that while he'll sack him on charges of improper conduct without blinking, he'll also do that to a good man and policeman; and Zoe immediately thrusts him when told that she's in danger without any evidence at all, solely based on Luther being Luther.
• Odd Friendship: With both Alice, the woman who murdered her parents to see if she could and Mark, the man who used to sleep with John's wife.
• Papa Wolf: Has shades of this with Jenny Jones.
• Scary Black Man: Over 6 feet tall and with some serious anger issues just waiting to get out. Henry Madsen tried to escape him at all costs for a reason.
• True Companions: By the end of the second series, he's one with Alice, Justin, Mark and Schenk.
• Unresolved Sexual Tension: With Alice.

Alice Morgan

Played by Ruth Wilson

The Black Hole to his Burning Sun

Luther: I'm coming for you. Alice: Not if I'm coming for you first.

• Affably Evil
• Badass
• Badass Bookworm: She DID make a physics doctorate before her 20s, after all.
• Berserk Button: Arguably Luther, whenever something stays in the way of their "friendship".
• Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: While more a Nihilist then true evil this is a women who kills people as easily as one scratches an itch. However as she said she understands the why of Good, she does not approve of it.
• For the Evulz: What could you say about a woman who murdered her two parents who raised her just to see if she could get away with it? She tends not to be restrained and seems amused about John and his morals.
• Good Is Dumb: Believes this completely fascinated with Black Holes believing that their existence proves that things like morality and law are pointless in the end.
• Knife Nut: When they're heading out on a job, Luther packs a gun. Alice empties her cutlery drawer.
• Lack of Empathy
• Manipulative Bastard
• Nietzsche Wannabe
• Odd Friendship: Considers Luther her only real friend.
• The Sociopath
• Stalker with a Crush: Maybe. Her expression when she looks up Luther's background suggests that she's getting off from it.
• Token Evil Teammate
• Undying Loyalty: She flat out admits that she would never betray Luther.
• Unresolved Sexual Tension: With Luther, even tried to get him to run off with her to see the world. While sorely tempted, he declined.
• Villainous Crush: On Luther.
• Yandere: Arguably this.